TAKEN FROM WEDNESDAY'S NOTES .....

WEDNESDAY JUNE 13th

Let's start today with a look ahead to the rest of the week, obviously main focus is Euro 2012 , where we have two matches each day , we also have Copa Libertadores fixtures and a full round of MLS fixtures at the weekend, where I have a couple of very solid looking selections and I am quite excited about those !

On the PGA Tour, the US Open starts tomorrow and that will be big over the weekend, but I will be letting the first day pass and holding off on any outright bets for the time being. The tournament is being held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, which has not hosted a tour event of any kind for 14 years and I understand that the rough is not particularly severe, which is unusual for an Open, anyway, I want to see how the course plays over day one and I still expect it to be a very tough test, that should be fun ! Since 1998 the greens have been converted from Poa Annua to Bentgrass and a LOT of trees have been removed from the course and wind might play more of a role this time round. I might well leave the tennis alone this week, the transition from clay to grass is always difficult, but that can also be good for us ,but the weather has been very uncertain, although  it is dry and sunny in the South East today for the first time in a week or more, so I might change my mind about that, going to watch a lot of the action from there today ( Queens Club).

 

EURO 2012 :

PORTUGAL - DENMARK

Portugal had a very defensive mindset for the first hour or so against Germany, they were set up 4-3-3, but very happy to play a containing game and the only attacking threat came from Nani and Ronaldo, with little help from anyone else. To be honest, they defended well and must have felt that the game was there to be won, as they had switched to a 4-2-3-1 before the Germans scored, but it was this transition that ultimately cost them. They played well on the front foot for the last 20 minutes and there was plenty for them to take out of the game, just not the result !

Denmark lost the attempts on goal count 27-5 to Netherlands, but won 1-0, they defended manfully, but very deep for the last quarter of the game. They played a rigid 4-2-3-1, with Nicklas Bendtner a lonely figure up front for much of the time, he is just about the most unlikely Arsene Wenger signing I have ever seen ( !), not the Arsenal type at all, but I digress. The two holding players in front of the back four allowed the Dutch a huge amount of time and space on the ball wide and if they adopt a similar approach tonight, Nani and Ronaldo will be licking their lips in anticipation and surely, they will not be as wasteful as the Dutch frontmen.

The two played in the same qualification group, Denmark came out on top, courtesy of winning the final match in Copenhagen 2-1, the Portugese won 3-1 in Porto and had 30 attempts on goal across the two games, which might not seem a lot looking at Denmark's opener, but they are big numbers between two fairly closely match opponents at this level. The two Portugese wide men scored all four goals and I really expect them to fire their side to victory tonight, we can also expect the Danes to tire a litttle late in this one, they spent a lot of time without the ball in the first game and energy levels must have been low afterwards

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Good Luck.

Contact : gowi8@btinternet.com